Product Description

Rachel Ashwell guides you through the fun and whimsy of decorating for the holidays and special events throughout the year. Her keen sense of keeping a lookout for everyday items lets her create and personalize her gifts, often without the fret and frenzy of last minute shopping. From creating special cards or elegant ribbons that adorn her packages, she mixes the new with the old to create her signature Shabby Chic touch. Rachel also guides you through planning a beautiful table for a special event. She takes a themed approach in planning her table from the initial choice of colors and fabric to the final elegant presentation, the end result is magnificent. Whether decorating for the holidays, creating personalized gifts or planning special tables for her family and guests, Rachel show you how easy it is to creat the Shabby Chic look with energy to spare.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49352 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-11-11
• Formats: Full Screen, NTSC
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Customer Reviews

Celebrate Christmas the Shabby Chic Way
Rachel Ashwell had a show called "Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic" on Style Network a few years back. This DVD contains three episodes from that series: (1) Christmas (2) Presents and (3) The Exquisite Table.

In April of 2008 Rachel released the first three DVDs. This one followed 7 months later in November making it #4 in the series.

1)CHRISTMAS: in this episode Rachel demonstrates how she makes Christmas cards out of old photographs, post cards, playing cards, paper napkins, ribbon, twigs, glitter and other common items. Personalizing a card makes it more meaningful. She shops the flea market throughout the year looking for vintage ornaments and wreaths to decorate her home and then she demonstates how to put together "stockings" out of unconventional items such as an old fishing basket and silk embroidered bag. Rachel sets a creative holiday table using an old drapery panel as the tablecloth and vintage clip-on earrings for napkin rings.

2) PRESENTS: Rachel casts aside the traditional gift box by grouping themed items together in unusual packaging (collander, dish rack, etc). To motivate and inspire the recipient the gift should keep the person's taste and interests in mind (such as a partially finished embroidery for the sewer). She shops for presents in unexpected places such as antique malls and ethnic grocery stores.

3) THE EQUISITE TABLE: Rachel creates a beautiful SC table for the Dining by Design charity event. At the flea market she finds a reproduction pink crystal chandelier, brooches (to be fashioned into napkin rings) and vintage fabrics. Next shes goes to an antique market for cutlery, stemware, china tea cups,and silver salt & pepper shakers. All these beautiful elements are then put together to make an exquisite shabby chic table.

Very entertaining, interesting but weird montage, from a fan
I absolutely admire Rachel Ashwell and love Shabby Chic. I, of course, ordered this DVD immediatly and watch it as soon as it arrived at home. I've been very amused by the beginning, interested by the following as I had read all in Rachel Ashwell's books so it was funny to actually be able to see all these objects on stage.
The end is beautiful, though the people around the festive table seem a little stiff.
But the montage is so weird, badly done, rather harsh, and I think this DVD would have needed a true professional for this job. I also regret that all the sequences seem a little old, I would have loved to see how Rachel Ashwell decorates for Christmas in 2008/09, what is new in her world ?
She has a wonderful soft voice, an amazing taste, so British, but sometimes she seems so sad and very lonely. That's probably why her associate came with her to the flea market. That sequence is really funny.
In conclusion, I would say, buy this, it is interesting, tasty, elegant, original and after all, the montage is not so important ! This DVD is a must.

Shabby Chic at it's best...
This is the last DVD of the Shabby Chic series by Rachel Ashwell and worth the look. I've collected all the books and DVD's to date. The series is based on Rachel's t.v. show (which I recorded on video years ago but have gone the way of most videos, since.

If you love the SS style, this is a must have. Check out my own version and how I've applied the 'vignette' principle and re-purposing of what you have.
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